Youth Birder
Events throughout Freeport and surrounding areas!
Beginning Birder Club
Third Saturday of the Month – September 2024 through April 2025
10:30 to 12:00 p.m.
Led by Juliet Moderow
Registration required – Contact us at [email protected] to register or get on the waitlist for the program.
Freeport Public Library, Meeting Room A/B
100 E Douglas St, Freeport, IL 61032
This will be a fun, educational program for youths to learn about different topics about birds. Lessons will be tailored for ages 6-10, but younger/older children are welcome. An adult must be present during the entire program. All sessions are independent from each other, so you are welcome to attend any that you are able.
Each program will be held at 10:30 am to approximately 12:00 pm on the third Saturday of the month. Sessions will be held at the Freeport Public Library in the Youth Services Program Room, but we will try to end the session outside to look for birds. Please dress appropriately for the weather as well.
Topics:
September 21, 2024
What makes a bird a bird?
We will learn about the unique characteristics of a bird.
October 19, 2024
Finding and naming birds
We will learn about habitats where birds can be found and how to identify local birds that can be found in the area.
November 16, 2024
Bird tools
We will learn about the natural tools that birds use (beaks and feet), especially when it comes to feeding.
December 21, 2024
Bird movement
We will learn more about feathers, how birds fly, why some birds migrate and others do not.
January 18,2025
Birds of prey
We will learn about birds of prey and do an owl pellet dissection.
February 15, 2025
Bird reproduction
We will learn about bird reproduction, egg laying, nest building, etc.
March 15,2025
Bird banter
We will learn about how birds sing and learn songs/calls of common birds in the area.
April 19, 2025
Bird conservation & Being a birder
We will learn about how to protect birds and how to be a birder!
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Osprey
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
This year’s theme for World Migratory Bird Day is water and the Osprey is one of the ten featured ambassador birds to help educate the importance of water to birds. Osprey are typically found near any body of water, from freshwater to marine. They are a unique in that they are the only hawk that feeds primarily on fish.
Ospreys are mostly brown on the upperparts and white on the underside. The adults have a brown eyeline stripe, yellow eyes, and a sharply hooked bill. They have slender bodies with narrow wings and long legs. They are easily identified in flight with their brown wrists and a kink in their wings, creating an M shape in flight. To catch their prey, they dive feet first into the water and often fully submerge (no more than three feet below surface) to grasp their prey. They have unique feet with a reversible outer toe, which allows them to hold on to their slippery prey with two toes in front and two in back.
Ospreys usually mate for life. Together they build very large nests and require a platform-like surface or similar placement. Humans can assist by providing nesting platforms in areas where Osprey breed. Ospreys are endangered or threatened depending on the state due to the use of DDT pesticides from the 1950s to 1970s. The pesticides poisoned the birds (as well as other species) and caused their eggshells to thin, leading to severe decline in populations. Today, their populations are improving but they are still at risk of entanglement and death due to plastic pollution that can be tangled in their nests.
* Thanks to allaboutbirds.org.
Many of these books can be found on PrairieCat; many are available for as little as 1 cent or 99 cents from booksellers on Amazon (with $3.99 for postage and handling).
Resources to help you give the children you influence the awe and wonder that only the natural world can inspire
Information on all the Freeport parks
More than books on a shelf…visit the Freeport Public Library
Events located in Freeport and Stephenson County
(The Cornell Lab of Ornithology) Includes bird information, tips, and more for kids and families
Ride or Hike the beautiful Jane Addams Trail
Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots
A program of the Jane Goodall Institute offering a variety of programs and resources
to tell the story of our changing planet through the eyes of NASA missions studying Earth and provides games, activities, and articles that make climate science accessible and engaging for children
provides resources for classroom curriculum, DIY activities, and bird activities for children at home
Many family-friendly articles; Ranger Rick family magazine
Resource Guide Supplement to Last Child in the Woods
Designed for parents, teachers, and community leaders to help them encourage children’s enjoyment of the great outdoors.
Located near Rockford, IL.
The program’s goal is to give every child in America an outdoor experience.
Learn about the importance of migratory birds and how to celebrate birds any day of the year!
